Improvement in straw-carriers of thrashing-machines



M. P. MORGAN.

Straw Carrier.

Patented Oct. 8 1861.

Invewtar: M WW Witnesses;

N. PETERS, Phatcrulhognphar. Washinglflm D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERRITT P. MORGAN, OF SCOTT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRAW-CARRIERS OF THRASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,445, dated October 8, 1861.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT P. MORGAN, of Scott, in the county of Oourtland and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of Constructing Straw-Oarriers of Thrashing-lvlachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a thrashing-ma chine with my improvement attached. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both of the figures.

My improvement is designed to facilitate the conveying of the straw from a thrashingmachine to the stack or place of deposit. This is usually effected by means of an inclined plane or bridge, which receives the straw as it issues from the machine, and along the surface of which it is conveyed until it falls on the stack or mow. As straw is usually disposed in. large stacks, the carriers used are necessarily of considerable length, and are ordinarily supported by poles or standards placed underneath; but these interfere with the formation of the stack and do not allow the carrier to be projected as far over the stack as is required by convenience from the want of support at its extremity. As the stack is elevated, the carriers have to be raised, and this requires the labor of two men to adjust and set the poles, and necessitates the stopping of the machine. My invention obviates these difficulties, as will be understood from the following description.

As represented in the drawings, A A indicate the thrashing-machine, and B thefcarrier on which the straw is conveyed to the stack. It is attached to the rear portion of the frame of the machine by a hinge-joint C. On each side of the frame a standard D is erected and firmly secured thereto, bearing a pulley e on its top. Back of these standards a shaft F extends transversely of the machine, having its bearing in the bed thereof, and a ratchet-wheel g g and pawl h h in each side of the frame. On each end of this shaft is wound a rope or chain I I, one end of which extends over pulley e in the standards, and is connected by a hook with an eye in the side of the carriers near its farther end. A'winch K being applied to one end of this shaft the power of one man is sufficient to raise the end of the carrier to any angle of elevation that may be necessary. The pawl 72, which is actuated by a spring, takes effect in the ratchet, and holds the elevator at the point where the Windlass is stopped. A cam Z-is used to hold the pawl raised when it is desired to lower the carrier.

I This improvement may be attached to any machine, of whatever construction, and its advantages are that the carrier maybe raised or lowered without stopping the machine, saving much time and power that are otherwise lost in stopping and starting. It allows the stack to be built as far under the carrier as may be necessary or convenient, there being no poles to interfere with it, and thereby saves manual labor by allowing a longer carrier to be used, and the straw deposited near the center of the stack. It maybe placed below the level of the machine, where the straw is stacked on ground lower than the machine, a sufiicient length of rope being used to lower it as far as may be required. It may be kept near the level of the stack and raised by short intervals as the height increases, preventing the straw being blown about by the wind, as it is more likely to be when it falls any considerable distance. It also saves the labor of transporting heavy poles from place to place with the machines, which are generally used itinerantly among the farmers.

The carrier may be made of any required length and jointed, as shown in the drawings, to enable it to be folded up conveniently for moving. The standards D D are of an elevation that gives a firm support to the carrier however much it may be elevated, and prevents its swaying.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

My improved method of raising and supporting the straw-carriers of thrashing-ma chines by means of the Windlass F, standards D D, and ropes I I, or their equivalents, combined and arranged substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

MERRITT P. MORGAN. W'itnesses:

J. FRASER, S. J. ALLIs. 

